What can I use for cold sores during pregnancy? I am currently 6 weeks pregnant

Mom Answers

I am just over 6 weeks and suffer from cold sores too. (I just had one, seems this pregnancy is to blame.) My doctor said not to use any oral medication but to still to the cream that you apply to the lip. He suggested Abreva. I hope this helps!

I was told by my OB while I was pregnant (and my daughter's pediatrician now that I'm breastfeeding) that Valtrex - which can be used for oral lesions - is safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Acyclovir - which is what Valtrex becomes in the body - is not harmful to a fetus or an infant. I was instructed to take 2 grams of Valtrex, twice a day for one day when I felt a cold sore coming on - it worked very well. Check with your doctor. Information I've found online says the same thing I was told.

Acyclovir (generic for valtrex) is a class B drug. This means that it hasn't been shown to be hazardous during pregnancy but that human testing has not been done. Animal testing shows no problems but there is not enough information to rule it safe.

Some information on commonly used treatments:
L-lysine is labeled by the FDA as a Class C drug, meaning there are known fetal adverse effects in animals, but human studies have not been done.
Acyclovir is Class B, not known to have effects in humans but studies not done (besides observational), and per Australia's rating system some adverse effects found in animals.

You can also try putting ice on the area as soon as you feel it coming on. This will help prevent the cold sore or keep it smaller with less pain. Also, I continue to use the ice if it still comes out.

I'm 19 weeks pregnant and have the worst cold sore of my life. It really depends on what your OB suggests. If it is related to the genital herpes you do want to take oral antiviral medication. Overall, consult your doctor, they know your specific case. Some doctors are also more conservative than others. Truth is, none of them have truly been tested on pregnant women, but many women have used all the topical drugs and have found no adverse reactions. I use Abreva and take a smaller dose of Lysine. Which is an amino acid found in normal foods. The action of Lysine is to decrease arginine, which causes cold sores. If you don't want to take the lysine supplements, just increase intake of dairy products and cheeses, and decrease in chocolates, nuts and sodas. These foods have lysine in it, and you can't argue that it's bad for you or your baby.

I made some dietary changes when I realized I was pregnant and one of the things I started consuming more of were nuts, particularly walnuts for Omega-3. Nuts are also high in arginine which exacerbates cold sores and which competes for absorption with lysine which is preventative for cold sores. Around Week 9, I got 3 cold sores on my bottom lip. I used Abreva and took Acyclovir which helped in combination with each other though it took longer than usual to go away because of the effects of my new diet.

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